No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Easy Chicken Meatballs with Red Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce
- 20 Oz Lean Ground Chicken
- 3 TB EACH Minced Onion and Celery
- 2 TB Minced Carrot
- 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Panko Crumbs, plus more as necessary
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- 1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1/2 Tsp EACH Pepper and Sea Salt
- 2 TB Grapeseed Oil*
Step One
Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients (except for the oil) in a large bowl with your hands. Be careful not to pack the meat tightly. Start with the 1/4 Cup Panko Crumbs, adding more as needed to keep the meatballs together. (Make small meat balls, all about the same size.)
Step Two
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Put the meatballs in, one at a time, and make sure they don’t touch. Sauté the meatballs until browned. Place in a 350F oven to finish cooking. The interior should be at 165F on an instant read thermometer. Serve them with:
Red Pepper Jelly Sauce
- 1 TB Unsalted Butter
- 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
- 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Dry White Wine (or Apple Juice)
- 1/4 Cup Red Pepper Jelly
- 1/4 Cup Stone Ground Dijon Mustard
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until aromatic. Add the wine, jelly and mustard. Whisk together in the pan and let cook for a few minutes until all the ingredients are melded together.
No. 2 : Kitchen Smidgen
*Have you tried Grapeseed Oil? Its a great neutral tasting oil for sautéing over high heat. Originally only used by chefs, now it can be found in many grocery stores. If you can’t find it – just use olive oil.
No. 3 : Get Creative
Turn these flavorful meatballs into an international sandwich. Tuck them inside a whole wheat pita pocket with some shredded Napa Cabbage and shredded carrots that have been tossed with the pepper jelly sauce. You’ve created a Mediterrean treat!
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
Adelsheim Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Total Wine about $15.00
Bright and crisp, full of the flavor of pears and melons, if you’ve haven’t tried a Pinot Gris from Oregon – you are in for a treat! Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape, but the wines are made differently – typically a Pinot Gris is rounder and fuller feeling in the mouth. You’ll still enjoy clean acidity, just not quite as mouth-puckering as a Pinot Grigio.
No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Creamy Red Lentil Soup
- 3 TB Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 1 Tsp Grated Ginger
- 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
- 2 Medium Zucchini, chopped
- 2 Sweet Potatoes, chopped
- 2 Parsnips, chopped
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tsp Sea Salt
- 8 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Cup Red Lentils
- ¼ Cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 1 Chopped Parsnip tossed with
- Garam Masala
Step One
Sauté the onion in the oil until soft, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook and stir until aromatic, about one minute. Add the additional vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the spices, sautéing for an additional minute. Add the broth, vinegar and lentils, stirring well to combine.
Step Two
Allow the soup to come to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes (or until the lentils and veggies are completely softened). Puree using an immersion blender. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of parsnips.
No. 2 : Kitchen Smidgen
Do you like parsnips? Do you even know what parsnips are? A relative of parsley, they are sweeter than carrots, a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber – and an overall delicious choice both raw and cooked! You’ll see the long white parsnips next to the carrots in the produce section.
No. 3 : Get Creative
This recipe looks like it has lots of ingredients – but many are spices that add SO much flavor to your food. If you stock your spice cabinet with the spices you like, and use all the time, when you make a recipe like this one, you’ll already have many of the ingredients!
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
– Seghesio Zinfandel
– Sonoma California
– Costco about $20
The moderate tannins and the deep fruity flavors of Seghesio zinfandel make it a delicious pairing with this sweet and savory soup. A beautifully balanced Zinfandel, with big spicy flavors make it a “shoe-in” with a hearty fall root vegetable soup. Jam packed with the flavors of berries and fruit, this wine can pair with soups as well as meat off the grill.